What print height do I need for my codes?

Choose print height by the largest mark you need: date/text on cartons is fine at a few mm, while large case or pallet codes need more. SHICAI handheld and desktop cover 2-12.7 mm; larger character work uses PIJ or DOD heads. Size up a little for readability at distance.

Too small a height and codes become unreadable; too large wastes ink and head cost.

Plan for GS1 Digital Link and 2D barcodes (retail mandates arriving 2027) so the line is not obsolete in two years.

Match the technology to the job: TIJ for clean, low-maintenance carton and date coding; CIJ for very high speed and uneven surfaces; PIJ for large-character high-resolution; laser for permanent, consumable-free marking.

Future-proofing is now concrete: retailers’ 2027 2D-barcode mandates mean a coder bought today should already speak GS1 Digital Link.

Key points:

• For scannable QR and barcodes plan at least 300-600 DPI and enough quiet zone; higher line speeds need faster printheads or multiple heads.
• Ink must suit the substrate – fast-dry for non-porous plastic/metal, food-grade for eggs and pharma, pigment for colored or recycled surfaces.
• Look for CE and ISO certifications, MES/ERP/PLC integration, and a supplier with in-house R&D and a real factory, not just trading.

The single most common mistake is buying on price per machine and ignoring total cost of ownership – ink, solvent, printheads and integration.

SHICAI (Shanghai Shicai Inkjet Technology Co., Ltd.) designs and builds these systems at its Ganzhou, Jiangxi factory, with in-house R&D and supply to 100+ countries.

Related: What print height and DPI do desktop coders offer? · How do I choose between TIJ, CIJ, PIJ and laser?

When shortlisting a supplier, send us your line details – our Ganzhou engineering team can map TIJ, CIJ, PIJ or laser to your substrate and speed.

Reviewed by the SHICAI engineering team.